ARTICLES ABOUT HALOGEN BY DATE - PAGE 3

If you've been to any luxury home shows in the last few years, chances are you've run across a few halogen light fixtures. Halogen light fixtures typically have very small bulbs that give off an intense white light. Because they mimic natural sunlight better than other bulbs, halogen lights are outstanding for highlighting art and for making food look more appetizing. They are often used in exotic, futuristic looking light fixtures in kitchens and dining rooms. But halogen lights have also become a popular choice for accent lighting under cabinets, inside bookcases and along architectural details like recessed ceilings.

Anthony Fortuna, 17, of the 200 block of Autumn Lane, was charged Wednesday with theft after he allegedly stole a halogen headlamp worth $10. Fortuna was ordered to appear in court July 25, police said.

The Grand Traverse Dinner Train offers three-hour color tours through the Boardman River Valley and Pere Marquette Forest in Michigan. While passengers are taking in the hues of autumn in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, they feast on fine five-course lunches or dinners prepared by executive chef Edward Mimms Sr. A tuxedo-clad staff serves the repast on linen-covered tables in four Pullman-style dining cars dating from the 1930s. Although the lunch train undoubtedly provides better opportunities for leaf-peeping, the dinner excursion uses halogen lights mounted outside the cars to illuminate the woodland settings.

Dear Ann Landers: My son has just started dating a girl I have known for five years. "Donna" used to date my nephew, "Doug." We became quite close while she was dating Doug, and she confided in me that she had genital herpes. She did not tell Doug, and he contracted herpes from her. I feel it is imperative to tell my son that Donna has a sexually transmitted disease. My husband disagrees and says it's none of our business. I am certain Donna and my son will be sexually involved soon, and if her past is any indication, she won't be honest with him. What should I do?

While this Canadian city can get pretty cold in winter--which lasts from about late November until mid-April--it was in the high 80s and quite humid when we visited in June. Toronto residents don't seem inclined to turn their houses and buildings into polar retreats. There seems to be just a slightly comfortable difference between outdoors and indoors. I think Canadians are more energy conscious than we are. They tend to believe in efficient use of energy. First, energy efficiency has three immediate benefits: It cuts utility bills, so you have money to spend on other things; it increases your comfort; and it reduces pollution.

It sounds impossible: an oven that can cook as fast as a microwave but delivers the crisped, well-browned results of a conventional oven. But that is exactly the claim behind a new generation of ovens now arriving on the market with considerable fanfare and the endorsement of some top chefs. The makers of these ovens, which combine microwave technology with other heating systems, boast that a rack of lamb will be done in as little as 7 minutes, and a perfect crisp-skinned roast chicken in only 20. Four companies are now manufacturing seven of the ovens, which are engineered to cut cooking times by up to 80 percent through a combination of conventional heating, convection blowers, microwaves, broiling elements or even super-hot halogen or quartz bulbs.

Q--I purchased a used 1997 Dodge Intrepid 3.3-liter, V-6 with 56,000 miles on it. According to Carfax, the car was a one-owner. As I only put about 10,000 miles a year (with lots of short trips and rush-hour driving), I'm hoping to keep this car for several years. I'm concerned that the car may be due for some routine maintenance. Since I can't really know the maintenance history, I'm considering tire rotation, brake inspection, coolant flush/fill, transmission fluid change and an oil change since it looks a little dark.

Dear Home&Garden, I read your article which ran in the Sunday, Aug. 6 edition of the Tribune about students decorating their dorm room. As you may recall, two students were given $250 to purchase items to decorate their room--one from IKEA and the other from Target. What a great way to give students an idea of how to make their room a home away from home! My only concern is that included in the list of purchases for both students was a halogen desk lamp. Due to the high risk of fire associated with halogen lamps, they are not permitted in the University of Illinois residence halls.

Q--The steering wheel on my 1994 Acura Integra shimmies slightly when braking. Does it need a front-end alignment? Shocks? Other .B., Chicago A--Our answer is C: Other. An alignment seldom cures a shimmy, especially when braking. Worn shocks are unlikely. The "other" component we suspect is the strut rod bushings. Q--I took my 1993 Plymouth Sundance with 12,700 miles to the dealer for an advertised special oil change and tire rotation. I was told it was necessary, for my safety, to replace the front brake calipers and rear brake wheel cylinders.